Oil burner



R. T. SMITH April 16, 1935.

OIL BURNER Filed Aug. 4, 1933 fr. 1 lymw.. l r)- Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNiTEo STATE y ILBURNER Reben fr. smith, Baltimore, Ma.

Application August 4,

' 4 Claims.

The invention relates to oil burners of the rotary type in which the air which supports combustion is drawn upwardly through the burner tube and projected outwardly over the hearth by means of a fan, the oil being mingled with the combustion air and vaporized bycontactV with the hearth.

The4 object of the present invention is to attain complete and clean combustion, giving a consistently blue flame with orange tints, which is evidence of complete vaporization and uniform mixing resulting in increased economy with an almost completev absence of noise. The improvement as embodied in the preferred form ofthe invention resides in the provision of a spray disk onto which oil is fed from the nozzle. This spray disk is mounted directly beneath the fan and Vrotated therewith being spaced downwardly from the ian blades. In the preferred form the fan is also provided with a cover or shield which not only supports the fan blades but shields the spray disk from the heat and prevents carbonization. The spray disk andV fan are open at the sides for the entire distance between the shield at the tcp .of the fan and the disk, an important consideration being, however,`that the periphery of theshield and the periphery of the fan be open so that the airis discharged separately from the oil, the air being Vthrown off from the fan adjacent the shield and theoilbeing separately `discharged irom'the edgeoi the disk so that the combination of the two which is essential to combustion, does not take place untilthey reach the hearth ring Where theroil is burned in combination with the air, the flames extending up- Wardly incontact with the heating surface.V 1

In the operation'A of the preferred embodiment of the invention shown the fan draws the combustion supporting air upward through the air passage or cone and through the center of the spray 'disk'which is apertured for this purpose and to pass the nozzle pipe; The air and oil are thrown out radially from the ian and spray disk, respectively, the oil being deected downwardly from the horizontal and distributed about the periphery of the hearth and in Contact with the hearth segment whereA it is vaporized and rises, being burned aboveY in combination with the air from thefan 'and in Contact with the boiler surface..

Itis an important feature of the invention that the oil and air are 'thrown outwardly without being mixed to a sufficient degree to support cornbustion so that the oil passes into contact with the hearth segment and is fully vaporized be- 1933, serial No. 683,636

fore burning, giving complete and economical combustion in close contact with the boiler surface, there being no burning of the Oil prior to contact with the hearth segment.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated a rotary oil burner withthe air tube or cone and hearth, the burnerbeing supplied with a fan and spray disk embodying the improvements of the invention in the preferred form.

,In the drawing: 1 f.

Figure 1 is -an elevation of the burner and hearth broken away to show a fragmentary vertical radial section. i

Figure 2 is a top plan of the burner without the hearth. -1 I Figure 3 is a vertical section through vthe center of the boiler and hearth showing the burner in elevation. l

Referring to the drawing by numerals, each of which is used to indicate the same or similar parts in the different figures, the construction shown vincludes a fragment of the ash pit `I overlying whichis the hearth 2 of fire brick which is open at the center `for the passage of the air tube or cone 3. The cone 3 has `a bottom wall 3 which is apertured to ,provide air openings 4 arranged around the center of the cone and controlledbi7 a. suitable Vdamper 5. The cone 3 is supported on'a base 6 having uprights 1 which may be adjustable as shown in accordance with the regularj practice.

Just below the center of the burner structure a motor 8 is shown. This may be supported'in anysuitable manner, having its shaft 9 vertical and preferably concentric with the air tube or cone 3. This shaft extends upwardly through the cone 3 and the fan ID is secured to the upper end of this shaft 9. The fan l0 as shown is provided with a top shield Il to which are secured radial or other suitable blades l 2 which are preferablyspaced outwardly from the center.V The spray disk or bottom disk lll is secured to the fan :beneath the blades in any suitable manner as by'means of bolts |75 enclosed in sleeves I6 by which` sleeves the spray disk is spaced downwardly `from the top disk l I and from the blades l2 of the fan. 'Ihe fan blades l0 are secured to the top shield H in any suitable manner, as by welding the flanges l1 on the blades to the shield l I, It isimportant to notethat the shield and spray disk are substantially plane and fiat and parallel, the space between the shield and disk being entirely open at .the periphery to provide for the outward'pro'jection of the oil and air without sufficient mixing to support combustion.

The spray disk I4 as shown is apertured at the center at I8 and this central opening or aperture is provided with an upturned rim I9 which prevents the oil from flowing inwardly and passing downwardly through the burner tube 3. The central opening I8 in the spray disk I4 serves to admit the air to the fan as hereinafter described and also provides for the passage of the nozzle pipe 2| which is stationary, being provided at the top with a gooseneck 22 which permits the oil to be dropped by gravity from the nozzle 24 on to the top surface of the spray disk I4.

The nozzle pipe 2| is connected to the oil supply by a suitable upright pipe 25.

In the operation of the burner, as already pointed out, the motor being started and the oil supply duly connected to the nozzle 24, the liquid is dropped in suitable quantities on the top of the disk 4 outside of the rim I9, and the com-v bustion supporting air is drawn up by the fan through the air pipe, or cone 3 and through the central opening I8 of the disk I4. The oil is thrown from the disk I4 by centrifugal force passing outward radially and being deflected downwardly from the horizontal so it comes in contact with the hearth segments 28 without being sufficiently mixed with the air to support combustion at the hearth segment. It is vaporized by the heat of the hearth and burned, rising in combination with the air from the fan which is also deected downwardly as shown and rises from the hearth segment as it is heated so that combustion takes place at the top of the hearth segment 28 and above the hearth segment in immediate contact with the boiler surface or wall of the combustion chamber which surrounds the burner at the bottom o1' the heating surface. The top disk I I not only supports the fan blades but acts as a shield, protecting the spray disk I4 from the heat of the furnace. In this way it prevents or practically eliminates carbonization at this point. The improved burner as described operates with a blue ilame having'orange tips and gives clean combustion without any excess of air resulting in increased economy. Also, it operates with a practical absence of noise.

I have thus described specifically and in detail an oil burner having a spray disk embodying the features of my invention in the preferred form in order that the manner of constructing, applying, operating and using the same may be fully understood, however, the specific terms herein are used descriptively rather than in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In an oil burner, the combination of a refractory hearth and means enclosing a combustion chamber above the hearth, the bottom of which is closed by the hearth, a centrifugal fan mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane above the hearth, a substantially fiat horizontal shield immediately overlying and substantially' from the opening in the hearth and delivering it to the opening in the spray disk, said conducting means having an opening at the top which is spanned by the spray disk, the oil being thrown by the rotation of the disk outwardly toward the periphery of the hearth and the air being thrown outwardly by the fan above the path of the oil.

2. The combination in an oil burner of a hearth and a heat absorbing surface arranged about the periphery of the hearth and projecting upwardly therefrom so that the hearth and the absorbing surface enclose a combustion chamber, the hearth having a central opening for air, a spraying disk mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane immediately above and substantially spanning said opening, means for feeding oil to be burned onto the top of said disk whereby it is projected outwardly toward the periphery of the hearth, a centrifugal fan mounted to rotate immediately above said spraying disk and spaced upwardly therefrom, a horizontal shield overlying and substantially covering the top of the fan and secured thereto, the spraying disk having an air opening at the center, means for rotating the fan and the spraying disk whereby the fan draws a supply of combustion air upwardly through the opening in the hearth and through the opening in the disk and projects it outwardly above the path of the oil. 3. In an oil burner, a hearth, and a heat absorbing wall surrounding the hearth and projecting upwardly therefrom enclosing a combustion chamber above the hearth, the hearth having a central opening for air, a rotary centrifugal fan mounted with its axis upright and directly overlying and spaced upwardly above said opening, a shield overlying and secured to the fan, a spray disk co-axial with the fan and mounted to rotate with the fan and spaced downwardly beneath the fan and substantially spanning said opening, the spray disk having a central opening for the admission of air, the spray disk and shield being substantially flat and horizontal, means for depositing oil to be burned on the top of the disk, means for conducting air upwardly from the opening in the hearth to the opening in the spray disk the air being drawn upwardly by the fan from beneath the hearth through said opening in the hearth and through said conducting means and through the opening in the spray disk and forming an air draft which is projected outwardly by the fan, the oil being thrown outwardly by the disk beneath the air draft from the fan and toward the periphery of the hearth.

4. The combination in an oil burner of a hearth having a central opening with means surrounding said opening and extending upwardly from the hearth and forming an air passage, a fan mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, the fan being immediately above the top of said passage, a at shield overlying the fan and an oil discharge plate secured to the fan and spaced downwardly therefrom and substantially spanning said opening, the oil discharge plate having a central opening to admit air from said passage to the fan, and means for feeding oil to said discharge plate whereby the oil is projected outwardly, the path of the air being above the path of the oil so that the oil and air are not closely intermingled until they reach the outer periphery of the hearth where the oil is burned in combination with the air.

ROBERT T. SMITH. 

